Travel to the popular Brookside district in Tulsa for the annual Herb Day, April 14, 2012. Come to view or purchase herbs, heirloom flowers, pottery, Oklahoma wines, birdhouses and more from Oklahoma growers. Spring has arrived and it’s time to start planting in gardens and tidying up the flower beds, so head to Herb Day in Brookside, where more than 20,000 fresh herbs, heirloom tomatoes and flowering plants will be up for sale. Everything sold at Herb Day in Brookside is locally grown and produced.
Check out the Tulsa-area farmers markets this spring and summer for other great locally-grown products!
Territory Cellars is hosting a Farm To Table benefit dinner May 21 at 6 p.m. Hurry as there are only 100 tickets to be sold.
Locally grown makes everything better!
Enjoy a five-course meal created by chefs Amanda Simcoe and Jennifer Spears. The menu includes Oklahoma’s spring harvest including local produce, meat and dairy. Tickets are $65 by calling 918-836-2500. The menu includes green pea soup with Coriander cream, mixed grill of braised pork belly and New York Strip and Grilled Pound Cake with fresh strawberries and brandied cream.
Weather permitting the dinner will be served in the courtyard of
The benefit will be held at the Tulsa Akdar Shrine Center at 2808 South Sheridan Road, Tulsa, OK 74129-1014. All proceeds benefit the Tulsa Akdar Shrine Center. There are 22 Shriners Hospitals for Children and those hospitals have helped more than 650,000 children, at no cost to parent or child. http://www.akdarshrine.org/
Participating companies include Pork and Greens, Natural Farms, 3 Springs Farms, Living Kitchen Farm, Territory Cellars, Tidal School Winery, Greenfields Winery and The Grape Junction.
The Living Kitchen Farm and Garden is just that – a farm and garden. The farm includes a goat milk dairy, St. Croix and Katahdin sheep that are sources of fiber and meat, and chickens for egg production.
The farm is certified organic from the pasture, where the animals eat, to the eggs and vegetables sold. The garden includes seasonal vegetables and can be accessed through two community supported agriculture opportunities or through the Cherry Street Farmers Market in Tulsa.
Lisa Becklund, owner of The Living Kitchen Farm and Garden
As the name shows, this operation is also a kitchen. Owner Lisa Becklund came to Oklahoma, from Seattle where she started in food service at age 14 and eventually worked her way to owning a restaurant. Lisa liked the concept of sustainable food so much that she decided to try farming and producing food herself. She started the goat dairy because of her lactose intolerance.
There are several ways to enjoy food from the garden at The Living Kitchen Farm, located off Route 66 near Depew. The first is Farm Table Dinners, which includes a five-course meal, prepared by Lisa, and a tour of the farm. The meal is served in the Oakley homestead located in the center of the farm.
The other dining option is a less formal meal on one of the Farm Chowdown Days. The meal is served out in the field. Menus for both meals are subject to Mother Nature and the growing season, which makes for a fun surprise. Hint: Reservations can be made starting March 15 and it is kidding season, if you want to pet a cuddly goat kid!
For more information about the farm or to make reservations, visit http://livingkitchen.homestead.com/index.html. Join Lisa for a meal in a unique setting and who knows, she might share a story about bringing a goat into her house.
Who knew nuts could be sweet and sassy? Baker Pecans, owned by Roger and Jackie Baker, has something for everyone.
Enjoy native and improved varieties of pecans. Add a little kick with the cinnamon-glazed pecans.
For those with a sweet tooth, there are lots of options. They have butterscotch and chocolate-covered pecans as well as turtles and toffee.
The Baker family serves up great Oklahoma hospitality at their retail store and gift shop in Tishomingo. At the store you can purchase Baker pecans in mixed tins and tubs as well as jams, locally-grown honey and gifts.
This recent burst of warm weather makes me ready for fresh fruits and vegetables! Although it isn’t quite time for the local farmers markets to open, there is one market that stays open year-round. The OSU-OKC Farmers Market, at 400 N. Portland, Oklahoma City, moves into the Horticulture Pavilion during the winter months and is open from 10 a.m.- 1 p.m. every Saturday.
Oklahoma products at the market include meat, cheese, nuts, salsa, sauces, pickles, relishes, cakes, cookies, jellies, butters, jams, spices, seasonings and more. You can also find candles, soaps, jewelry, baskets and much more.
Visit these agritourism businesses at the OSU-OKC Farmers Market:
- Crestview Inc. Farms - Edmond, OK
Offers certified organic fruits and vegetables, bedding plants, salsas and grape juice.
- Peach Crest Farm - Stratford, OK
Offers peaches, peach jam and peach salsa.
- Valley View Pecan Co. - Shawnee, OK
Offers pecans and pecan treats.
- John’s Farm/Cattle Tracks Beef - Fairview, OK **(First Saturday of each month)
Sells certified organic beef.
- Wichita Buffalo Company – Hinton, OK
Sells buffalo steaks, roasts, burger patties, sausage, jerky and sticks.
